Free From Sin

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness (Romans 6:18)

Paul had difficulty communicating the truth in the verse above due to the limitations of language. He said in the next verse, “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh…” (Romans 6:19). The Message translation says, “I’m using this freedom language because it’s easy to picture…” (Romans 6:19 MSG). He had to bring the discussion to a seemingly mundane level that they could relate to.

The reality is that the new creation wasn’t “set free” from sin; rather, he was born sin-free; there’s a difference between the two. Born sin-free means you were born without sin. This is easy to understand when you realize that the new creation is the result of the resurrection (not the death) of Jesus Christ. Your new life started with the resurrection of Jesus Christ: “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…”; a new species or kind of man, born in righteousness with no past of sin to be set free from. In Christianity, we don’t get set free; we’re free born! That’s the reality for the one who’s born again. You’re sin-free. No wonder Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you…”

The concept of sin can’t be properly understood until you have a good understanding of the doctrine of righteousness. So, when the Bible says, “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness” (Romans 6:20), the expression “free from righteousness” actually means righteousness-free or you were “righteousness-exempt.” In other words, you were a slave of sin and couldn’t practice righteousness.

However, now that you’re born again, it’s the reverse; you can practice righteousness and produce fruits and works of righteousness because that’s your nature in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!

The Bible says that he who practices sin is a slave to sin John 8:34. Meaning if are lifestyle is a life of consistent sin, then it is our master/ we are its captives.

Christ came to free us from captivity/ set the captives free, so that sin will no longer dominate or lives (sin -trespassing Gods laws /standards or simply falling short of His standards of holiness)

John 8:36, who the Son sets free is free indeed. Meaning sin doesn't have the grip on me as it did before accepting Christ. I'm no longer controlled by my sinful urges, desires, and thoughts. I now have the power to submit to Christ and live a life that is pleasing to him. Rom6:18

Although even born again, believers fall short of God; we have a mediator (a go-between), who is Christ pleading to God for us. And if we confess our sins, he is just and faithful to forgive us. For he who hides sin shall not prosper, for what is done in the darkness shall be brought to light.

In Romans 6:11, it says:

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

It means that when we put our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are made a new creation, and that we are set free from our bondage to sin, and the Holy Spirit gives us the power to obey Jesus. It means that we consider ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God. It means we no longer live according to our old sinful nature, but we live for God. We don’t allow ourselves to consider going back into our old, sinful lives. Instead, we choose to follow and obey Jesus as those who have been brought to life by the Spirit. We have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. And just as Jesus died and rose again, so we die to ourselves and our sins, and are raised to a new life in Jesus Christ. Christians still sin sometimes because we struggle against our old sinful nature. We won’t be perfect until we get to Heaven (1 John 1:8). But if we are truly saved, there will be a change in our life, and the overall habit of our life will be obedience (1 John 2:3). If someone’s life is characterized by a continual pattern of unrepentant sin, that shows they aren’t really saved to begin with (1 John 3:9). When a Christian does stumble and sin, we are still saved, and God is still our Heavenly Father, because Jesus is our Advocate who intercedes for us with the Father (1 John 2:1–2). And when a Christian sins, we confess and repent of our sins, and get back in line with God’s will for our life (1 John 1:9).

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 5:1

The Bible lets us know that Jesus wasn’t only delivered on account of our sins, He was also raised for our justification: “Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25). What does it mean to be justified? First, you need to understand that there’s a difference between justification and forgiveness. The Apostle Paul, in the opening scripture, wasn’t talking about forgiveness, nor was he talking about remission. He was talking about justification. To be justified means “to be declared not guilty.” It means to be declared righteous.

Thus, in the eyes of God, you never sinned because God Himself, who should judge you for your wrongdoing, is saying, “No, you didn’t do wrong; you’re clean.” That’s what it means to be justified. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The new creation is a brand-new species of being, one that never existed before. For him, old things are passed away, and all things have become new. He has a clean slate, as it were, for he’s without a past. That’s why God can declare him “not guilty” because there’s nothing to judge since he now has a brand-new life!

The Bible says when Jesus died, you died with Him; when He was buried, you were buried with Him; and when God raised Him from the dead, you were raised together with Him in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4)! That means all your sins are gone! You’ve been washed by the blood of the lamb and presented holy and guiltless before the Father.

The Lord Jesus suffered and endured the pain and shame of the Cross, not because of His sins or for Himself, but for us. He took our place and bore the punishment for sin on our behalf. While on the Cross, bearing the burden of our sins, He cried out in anguish, “…My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” (Mark 15:34 CEV).

Habakkuk 1:13 tells us that God is holy and doesn’t look at iniquity. That’s why God turned His back on Jesus because our sins were laid on Him. Jesus never wanted the separation from the Father as a result of our sins on Him; it’s the reason He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39). Yet, the Father’s will prevailed: Jesus died on the Cross and descended into hell.

Upon taking all the punishment that was necessary, the Bible says Jesus was justified in the Spirit (1 Timothy 3:16) and was raised back to life. He was raised to life for our justification: “Who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25). To be justified means to be acquitted of guilt, to be declared righteous. He was our substitute in death as well as our substitute in resurrection. When he died, you died with

Him; when He was buried, you were buried with Him. When God raised Him from the dead, you were also raised together with Him in newness of life!

Now, you’re sin-free, at complete liberty to serve the Lord and live for Him in glory and righteousness. You’ve become not just righteous, but also the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

Such a blessed reality!

-GSW-